World War II Questions and Answers

How did the United States prepare for World War II?

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Even though the United States did not enter World War II until the attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, it had been preparing for the likely possibility of joining the conflict for some time. Naval forces around the Pacific had been actively operating drills and exercises to stay sharp and prepare as tensions with Japan increased. As the Japanese Empire expanded closer to the Philippines, President Franklin Roosevelt issued a national emergency declaration that gave him significant authority to oversee military and civilian coordination.

As late as 1940, Roosevelt had been corresponding frequently with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill about contingencies should the United States join the conflict. Although he assured the nation that he planned to keep the United States neutral, privately he wanted to join the fight against fascism. The two leaders frequently discussed how the countries would assist each other in the war. In fact, diplomatic missions between the United States and Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and China increased significantly during this time.

Roosevelt also bolstered the Office of Naval Intelligence in its efforts to gather information through clandestine operations around the globe. US intelligence officers were stationed in many countries involved in the war to gather as much useful information as possible.

Aware that the United States might become a target as a result of its support of Allied forces, coastal defenses were built up around major American ports. The country also instituted a draft in 1940 to shore up its defense forces: the only peacetime draft in the...